Coal power stations
Dr READ (Brunswick) (12:30): My question is for the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. Twelve months ago I asked the minister if the government would set pollution limits for coal-fired power stations consistent with the more stringent limits used overseas for mercury, sulphur dioxide and particle pollution. A year ago the minister concluded her answer by saying that she was developing:
… strong policies to ensure … the best air quality—
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the member to just stop for a moment. I ask the house to come to order. I need to be able to hear the question that is being asked by the member for Brunswick.
Dr READ: The minister concluded by saying she was developing:
… strong policies to ensure … the best air quality protections that we can possibly put in place in our state.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria has been reviewing this since late 2017, and it has been a year since I asked the question, so my question for the minister is: will Gippsland residents see tighter air pollution controls on Victoria’s coal-fired power stations before Christmas?
Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (12:31): I thank the member for Brunswick for his question and his interest in this area. It is a well-known fact that the EPA, as part of its regime, undertakes reviews of a whole range of licences that they issue over a period of time to many operating facilities. Of course part of that regime is the review of coal licences that they are undertaking at the moment. My understanding, from advice from the EPA, is that that review is still underway. They may not be all that far away from concluding that review, but the EPA is independent of course as a regulator. They consider and revise licence conditions, and we certainly await the conclusion of that important work.
In terms of air quality strategy, which is a separate matter that does stand separate to the EPA’s review, this is a commitment that we have as a government to develop an air quality strategy, and we will have more to say on that in the coming time.
Dr READ (Brunswick) (12:32): My supplementary question is whether we will hear a decision on this this year or whether in fact the government is stalling on imposing internationally recognised standards on coal-fired plants to protect the coal plant owners from potential financial losses rather than to protect the health of the people of Gippsland.
Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (12:32): I thank the member for Brunswick for the supplementary question. Let me be really clear here: the EPA is an independent regulator. Their reviews of any licences are undertaken independent of government, and as I said earlier, we await the conclusion of their review.
Dr Read: On a point of order, Speaker, I did ask whether we would see an announcement this year.
The SPEAKER: Order! The minister was relevant to the question that was asked. The minister has concluded her answer.